Ah, 3D. As of this moment, Hollywoodland is currently in the midst of a second golden age of three-dimensional feature films, launching various animated, horror, and action flicks at us (like, literally, at us) on seemingly a monthly basis. One of last year's best films of any genre was "Up!," a touching, charming, and hilarious Pixar tale that just so happened to be presented to us in eye-popping 3D. As shocking as this will be to more than a few of you young-'uns who weren't brought up with the obsessive need to find out any- and everything about your favorite films and pop culture...um...things, we ALSO went through quite the little 3D renaissance in the early-'80s. No less than the "Jaws" franchise itself presented a 3D entry, with a film that was originally supposed to be a "Jaws" parody (in the end, of course, they played it straight). But it surprises many when informed what the early-'80s 3D box office champ was."Friday the 13th Part III" was Frank Mancuso Jr.'s attempt to cash in on the 3D gimmick, and needless to say, it paid off big dividends, as it kept the incredible momentum that the series had gained with its first two installments and paid it forward even more (it out-grossed "Friday the 13th Part II" by a solid $13 million). Like the original films, it stars nobody, with only Tracie Savage having gained any sort of lasting notoriety as she is currently a respected California news anchor. The director, Steve Miner, has gone on to helm a few more films, most notably the 1985 Sean Cunningham-produced horror vehicle "House" and the 1992 Mel Gibson drama "Forever Young." Of course, none of the ancilliary complaints about "Friday the 13th Part III" even mattered to the movie audiences of 1982, as this movie's 3D gimmick inspired far more ticket sales than previously thought possible for its thin premise and poorly acted - and poorly written - script.
It does me absolutely no good to tell you that, technically, this movie is pretty bad. The script by Martin Kittrosser is minimal at best, although we do get a few more of those almighty glimpses of characterization that is so often lacking in many higher-budgeted and respectable horror films of today. The direction is also suspect; Miner hadn't quite refined his craft yet at this point in his career, and many of the camera movements and cuts are a little jarring and uncoordinated. And the acting - oh God, the acting. Even Leonard Maltin, a critic who praised the movie upon its release, dubbed the acting "amateur night," and that's a fitting description, with Roger Ebert himself asking if Miner had found the entire cast on street corners. As it turns out, the movie's most beloved character other than Jason - chubby prankster Shelly - was cast when Mancuso spotted him handing out tickets at a showing of "The Road Warrior" and had an epiphany moment, muttering to his spouse that they had found their Shelly. So eat it, critics.
But you know what? Ignore all that - all of "Friday the 13th Part III" was an excuse to cram as many 3D moments into one film as humanly possible, and in this regard, the movie doesn't disappoint. I own a copy of the 3D DVD of this film, and suffice to say, it makes LOADS of difference watching this movie the way it was originally intended. As a kid, this movie scared the crap out of me, but I found it funny back then that the movie features things constantly being thrust into the TV's frame of view. Now, of course, that makes sense. EVERYTHING in this movie is viewed as an opportunity for audience participation in the form of three-dimensional interaction; before the movie's slaughter begins, we get 3D bunnies, TV antennas, bedsheets, cars, bats, yo-yos, hair (in the form of Shelly's legendary afro), and, amazingly enough, several more things. Of course, once Jason shows his face and begins offing the new cast, we get 3D pitchforks, axes, spikes, and other assorted implements of destruction. On an eye candy level, and the way that this movie was intended for its original 1982 theatrical audience, this movie works its intended purpose and then some. Awesome stuff.
What sentence is coming up next? Longtime Horror Nerd readers will know.
The film, finally: We open up on a solid montage of clips from "Friday the 13th Part II," most specifically the ending moments when Ginny gives the sack-hooded Jason Voorhees the coup de grace and stumbles to safety with her kinda-sorta boyfriend. The camera cuts back to Jason's shack in the woods, who casually removes the blade thrust in his shoulder and drags himself away. So begins the long tradition in "Friday the 13th" films of Jason Voorhees surviving everything that protagonist chicks throw at him.
From here, we meet the new cast, and what an auspicious bunch this is.
Chris: Played by Dana Kimmell, this is our lead protagonist for this go-round. She's relatively hot (not factoring in almost 30 years' worth of aging), but aside from that...she's definitely no Ginny Field. Not only because Dana Kimmell cannot hold a candle to Amy Steel in the acting department, but because the character comes across as screechy, whiny, and even a little shrewy. I'm sure that this isn't the way the character was written, and I like that she's given some depth in the form of her questionable background (and even possible RAPE at the hands of Jason - yes, it's implied), but the way it's pulled off doesn't quite work. Too bad.
Rick: Paul Kratka plays Chris' love interest, a pretty nondescript character all things considered. Pencil in "generic boyfriend material" and you've pretty much got Rick, who offers very little to the plot other than just listening to Chris' legendary monologue about the aforementioned night from the past where she ran across a pre-murder spree Jason Voorhees in the woods. Of course, he also offers the movie's most hilarious death, as Jason squeezes his head until his freakin' eyeball pops out of the screen - like, again, right at you in 3D. Oh yeah, *SPOILER*
Andy and Debby: The movie's secondary romantic couple, these two are written as the "cool" people of the bunch. To be sure, Tracie Savage was pretty damn sexy back in the day. In addition, she actually shows some acting chops despite the crappy material, particularly her droll response when Andy inquires about the logistics of hammock sex. Andy, in true F13 guy fashion, again also offers little except for shoving a yo-yo into the 3D camera lens repeatedly in the movie's most annoying moment.
Shelly: Larry "Mr. Awesome" Zerner, currently an entertainment lawyer of all things, portrays the movie's best secondary character. The story from earlier in the review is true - he was indeed a movie theater ticket taker before getting the job in this movie, and one look at Mr. Zerner's dimeanor back then was more than enough for Mancuso to trust this pivotol (yeah, right) role with the unproven actor (who, unbelievably, had an agent). And he...is...freaking...awesome. Most F13 films have one very sympathetic character, and this is Shelly's role in "Friday the 13th Part III." He's an aspiring actor who keeps a suitcase filled with practical gag aids, and is along on the group's trip to a small lakeside haven because Andy, his roommate, hooked him up on a blind date with Vera (Catherine Parks), a hotty Latina who wants nothing to do with the lovable loser...at first. Shelly gradually wins over Vera as the movie goes along, but, regrettably, before he's able to get himself laid.
Amazingly enough, there's a few more characters/murder victims in this film, including a random group of evil bikers who nearly sink the movie halfway through and two ex-hippie tagalongs hanging out with the college students on their trip.
What else do you care about with this movie? Well, the kills are decent - certainly better than what we got in "Friday the 13th Part II." My favorite is Andy's death. It seems that Jason is allowed one extremely grotesque death per movie, and when we finally see the ending result of the Andy body impalement, it makes for truly visceral stuff. I really, really wish that Shelly's death would have been onscreen, as it would have made for a big emotional gut-punch, but as it stands the 3D deaths compensate for it. One of the random bikers - interestingly enough, a chick - has a death scene that creeped the ever-living crap out of me as a fourth grader and kept me out of barnyard rafters for years afterward.
There's one more very important thing worth mentioning - this is the movie where Jason Voorhees gets the hockey mask. And he gets it because of Shelly. I won't mention the specific details, so you'll have to watch the movie if you're an F13 virgin to find out the grisly details of this one. I will say, however, that when Jason, largely unseen for much of the movie, saunters out onto the dock near the lake house wearing the hockey mask for the first time, it makes for a classic "reveal" moment. It also doesn't hurt matters that what immediately follows is an epic "spear gun to the eye" death scene.
"Friday the 13th Part III" is kind of a mixed bag for me. While not as good as the classic original film or as tense as the sequel due to our emotional investment with its protagonist, it's nonetheless a solid entry in the early "Human Jason" F13 films. While I mentioned in the review of "Friday the 13th Part II" that the Jason of that particular film was merely good at stabbing people, the Jason in this film appears to have hit the gym and picked up some brute strength. He also RUNS, for Christ's sakes, a practice that wouldn't be seen again for the rest of the series. That bit of novelty aside, there are definitely worse films in the franchise. Pick up the movie in its 3D form and you'll have a good time with a few friends, both for its intended and unintended purposes. You'll be wowed at just how many things the film-makers can "pop" one minute and making fun of Dana Kimmell's acting the next.
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